Mental Health Unit, Highcroft Hospital

The aim was to provide a sympathetic, domestic environment, which promotes security, dignity and independence for both patients and staff. The approach was to locate all facilities on the periphery of the site so that they interface with the surrounding community.

The development comprises of a 28 bed older adult assessment unit supplemented by a 20 place day hospital, a 26 bed high dependency unit with direct areas to a core activity centre and a 13 bed rehabilitation unit providing self-contained hotel style flats.

Since patients can be resident from a couple of months up to a year or two, facilities include shared lounges, kitchenettes and communal activity space.

The planning is focused on courtyards, typically surrounded by a corridor, as both social and private space. Corridors have frequent high windows under the monopitch roofs looking onto the courtyards. The corridors are broad and light with window seats opposite bedsit doors.

Rooms are simply finished in plaster with cork tile floors and level-access showers in en-suite bathrooms. Window sills are low and broad enough to be used as seats, with the landscaping close beyond. Sloped ceilings allow service runs to be in the high part of the room against the corridor wall.